It’s Work Like a Dog Day! Tips for Managing Large Workloads

Today is Work Like a Dog Day! Is it a coincidence that it falls on a Monday? Probably not. If you’re a reluctant Work Like a Dog Day celebrator because of work that may have piled up from the weekend, follow these tips for large workload survival:

Write a To-Do List

Organizing your thoughts in a to-do list is one of the simplest, but most effective ways to manage your workload. When you have your priorities laid out in front of you, it’s easy to see what needs your attention first, and what can wait a little bit.

Avoid Distractions

Although meetings and email are important, they can be counterproductive and distracting when you’re swamped with projects. Try to reschedule a meeting or two to a different day, and select windows of time when you should take a quick break from your projects to answer email.

Get Help

If you have a teammate who is not busy today, ask him/her to pitch in. As teammates, you’re working toward a common goal, so don’t feel too guilty when asking for help. But at the same time, you should make a point to recognize that person for his/her extra efforts.

Take it One Step at a Time

Multitasking can be a hindrance to productivity. It may seem cliché, but if you take your projects one at a time, your workload becomes much more manageable. Focusing on one thing will also help your work quality, as there is less of a chance that something will fall through the cracks. So although it may be tempting to try to do everything at once, don’t let yourself fall into the multitasking trap.

Mondays are typically a busy day of catch up, so in honor of this year’s Work Like a Dog Day, follow these tips and save yourself the headache that comes with work stress.